John Snell’s Tribute to Coastal Louisiana

Sunrise/Sunsets and a nature lover’s paradise

NEW ORLEANS (WVUE) -South Louisiana can be under appreciated for its natural beauty. A land of brilliant sunrises and sunsets, reflected in its many bayous and bays. When the first Europeans arrived, they described flocks of birds that would practically darken the skies.

Sunrise along the Tchefuncte River, Madisonville

A century ago, poachers devastated populations of egrets, spoonbills and many other species in the name of fashion.

Elaborately adorned hats made the price of feathers worth more than they weight in gold. While many of those bird populations have recovered, Louisiana’s coast faces other challenges.

Disconnected from Mississippi River, subjected to salt water intrusion and other forces, the coast loses about a football field of land every 90 minutes, according to the latest estimate from the U.S. Geological Survey.

Nevertheless, Louisiana’s 7,700 linear miles of coast remain a paradise for fishermen, hikers, kayakers and other outdoor lovers. Here is a photographic tribute to this special land.

A great egret shows off his spring plume

The sun rises in the Big Branch Marsh National Wildlife Refuge near Lacombe, LA

A fisherman tries his luck in Bayou Sauvage National Wildlife Refuge, New Orleans

A brown pelican takes flight

A blue heron grabs a lunchtime snack in the Bayou Sauvage National Wildlife Refuge

A blue heron, silhouetted against the setting sun in Lake Pontchartrain.

The sun bursts over the horizon along the Tchefuncte River

Sunrise reflections in Bayou Lacombe

A brown pelican finds a resting spot in Irish Bayou

A bald eagle flies over the Algiers area of New Orleans

The skies light up at sunset behind the Tchefuncte River Lighthouse, Madisonville